Alongside Marie Riou, he won all four Nacra 17 World Championship titles in the Rio 2016 qudrennial, but a back injury dented the duo's chance of gold in the Brazilian city.

The pair finished sixth with Besson now looking for joy at the second World Cup event of the season.

He will have a different partner in the mixed event, however, with Amélie Riou - who is not related to Marie - sailing alongside him.

Miami World Cup winner Ben Saxton will also have a new Nacra 17 partner, with the Briton teaming up with Steph Orton after Nicola Groves opted to pursue new challenges.

In the 49er class, Britain's Dylan Fletcher-Scott and Stuart Bithell will resume their battle with compatriots James Peters and Fynn Sterritt.

Germany's Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel, who claimed bronze at Rio 2016, will also be among the challengers.

In the 49erFX category, Austria's Tanja Frank will continue her transition from the Nacra 17 class by partnering Lorena Abicht, with Aruba's Nicole van der Velden and Odile van Aanholt another pair to watch.

There will be strong home interest in the men's RS:X thanks to Rio 2016 bronze medallist Pierre Le Coq, Miami victor Louis Giard and 2016 European champion Thomas Goyard.

The women's RS:X field will include the three most recent youth world champions, Britain's Emma Wilson, Russia's Stefania Elfutina and China's Yunxiu Lu.

In Formula Kites action, France's world champion Maxime Nocher will be hoping for home success.

Action in Hyères, which lies on the Mediterranean Sea, will begin tomorrow and conclude with two days of medal races on April 29 and 30.